Change in Format?

[kailhofer]

I was just thinking... <br><br>(Strange. I can sense disturbances in the force, as if readers around the world were suddenly tensing and gripping their keyboards. :) )<br><br>It might be nice if there were something, symbol or other piece of clip art, that could be put by the titles in the zine that would indicate genre or comedy/drama. That way, a reader could see a story like, "For the Love of Chicken" and know right off it's a comedy. Or something to indicate horror next to "Our Timid Friend." <br><br>I know you can pretty much figure those out if you read the promo blurb, but it's not always easy to tell by the blurb. My "Just Another Day at the Office", for example. It has the Mare Martini next to it, so readers know it relates to the Mare, but it sounds like a drama from the blurb. (That's my fault, by the way. I didn't write my own promo or even give a suggestion for it.) Also, sometimes the blurb suggests a story could be comedy or horror, but isn't, as in "Frankenstein, Inc."<br><br>I know that since the Mare symbol is there, it is possible to put in art. I also know that some other zines do similar things, such as the genre markers and backgrounds that change when you read a story over at Alien Skin.<br><br>What do you think? Dan?<br><br>Nate

[Robert_Moriyama]

To me, there is nothing worse than getting caught up in a good story, hanging on the edge of your seat, and then have the story end, only to be continued in the next installment. it is this same reason that I will not buy a multi-part story in the book store unless all the books in the series are available. It really ticks me off when I find a book in the store that looks good, read it and find out at it's continued in the next volume, when it said nothing on the cover, or back of the book, about being part of a ongoing series.

Stories Like the Al Majius stories by Robert Moriyama, or the Mare Inebrium are different, in that while they may have an ongoing storyline, they are complete stories in themselves.

My 2 cents.

Kevin

<br>I try to make the Al Majius stories 'complete in themselves', but I admit that sometimes there is no self-contained plot, only a development in the overall plot (usually Al learns something new; in this issue's story, Morgenstern learns something new -- how to see through the College's protective spells and find Al and his friends). Glad that they don't leave you feeling cheated, anyway. (I guess I'd better not do that cliffhanger ending trick after all ...)<br><br>Robert M.

[Robert_Moriyama]

... if I skipped one of the Al stories (not that I would), it would not (normally) make as much of a difference in the overall storyline. That's not to say that things couldn't happen in certain stories that would confuse you in further parts if you did not read that part, say if Billy became a Baldie.
Kevin

<br>Billy becoming a Baldie -- another story idea! If the Baldies somehow enchanted or seduced Billy to the Bald Side of the Force, it would be a Billy Bald-win. (Please hold your rotten fruit until the end -- I got a million of 'em.)<br><br>Robert M.

[kailhofer]

Billy becoming a Baldie -- another story idea!

<br>I know a certain Hell-hosted magic factory that might happen to make defective potions, if it will help.<br><br>Nate

[kailhofer]

Let me get this straight. You saw the title "For the Love of Chicken" and thought, what, it was a serious period drama or something:):)? Interesting example to chose.

<br><br>It's really a comedy?? I thought it might have been an allegory where the chickens symbolized the unrelenting march of technology into our lives, pecking at our wills with cell phones, computers, and movies on demand. Isn't that why Marty couldn't survive in the wild, because pristine nature itself had become impossible to attain due to the ruining forces of technology? Similar to Thomas Pynchon's musings in Vineland. :)<br><br>(The true value of a degree in English: After learning the rules of making literary arguments, there's no amount of BS I can't spread whether I know anything about the topic or not. You may have noticed. ;))<br><br>Nate